A/N: Wow I must be on a roll. I think it's because a) it's new (hah) and b) I have yet to write a story where they aren't an established couple yet, so the new challenge is enticing (I am very sorry for those of you waiting on updates for the Bloodborne AU/post-SF angst/high school AU; I swear those have WIP chapters). Quarantine hijinks ensue and continue. Stay healthy and wear masks folks!

"Ugh...man, what time is it..."

The sniper blinked, trying to determine if this was a dream or if she really was awake. It seemed like forever since she could sleep in, without being roused by some type of blaring alarm. Sunlight streamed through the windows, with birds chirping as Sio finally reached over for her phone.

LED numbers reading 10:36 blinked back at her, Sio staring for a few minutes until the events of yesterday finally came flooding back—

—quarantine, house, squadmates—

—laundry, Jack, the shower—

—naked—

"Waahhh!" The sniper shot up like a bullet, fully aware of her surroundings now. Right. They'd been forced to quarantine in San Francisco for the time being, due to that virus—covid or something—which was why she was now lounging in a foreign (but admittedly very nice) bed, staring out the windows and wondering what the protocols were. From what she gathered, going outside for anything other than exercise and bare necessities was pretty much prohibited—and if this virus really was that contagious, Sio wasn't sure she wanted to take that risk anyway.

Just as she was still blushing while thinking about last night's mishaps, there was a sharp series of raps on her door, the sniper nearly jumping out of her skin.

"H-Hai?"

"Oy squirt, you awake or what? We're having a meeting with the Commander in ten; breakfast's on its way, it'll be a working one so get down here ASAP."

Adam's gruff voice pierced through the door, Sio hurriedly throwing back the covers before his footsteps even faded. As she was rummaging through her duffel though, she suddenly remembered why it was empty.

'Oh no, my clothes are still drying...' Actually, now that she thought about it, the sniper didn't remember if she'd even taken them out of the washer or not. They could still be stuck there, in a lump, for all she knew. 'Crap, what do I do...I don't wanna be late, but I can't just show up wearing...these...can I?'

She glanced nervously at the clock, which was edging dangerously close to 11am. 'Damn, guess I don't have a choice...' Steeling herself, she opened the door and resolutely trooped down the stairs.

"Oh my Sio-chan, whatever are you wearing?" The smell of hot coffee and breakfast sandwiches made her stomach grumble, as Jess handed her a mug before the sniper could inform her that she didn't drink coffee. "Are those boxer shorts?"

"O-Oh, er, yeah...my clothes got dirty last night, and they're still drying so...I haven't been able to change yet..." The sniper blushed, avoiding eye contact with everybody but especially the man who lent her the clothes. "Jack-san...let me borrow his last night..."

Mahesh let out out a low whistle, eyeing their leader with a knowing look. "Oh Adam, you really are the definition of a senpai, no? Looking out for our youngest member, even lending her your clothes...I knew that 'lone wolf' act was really just a facade."

"Shut yer trap, Mirza," the man growled, though it was taking every ounce of self-control to not start blushing. "Anyway, quit yer yappin'—the meeting's about t' start, regardless of how we're dressed."

The hologram projector burst to life just as Jess managed to tie a shawl around Sio's shoulders, the Commander suddenly appearing as if she were standing in the room right there with them. All members of the Second Platoon stood to attention, despite their varying states of dress.

"At ease, Second Platoon. It's good to see you all doing well, given the circumstances. Speaking of which, I do apologize for the suddenness of the situation; I'm sure Saint-Germain already told you the basics, but given the state of world, we feel it's best for DOGOO to adhere to the guidelines, as well. It won't do for any of our members, e-gene holders or otherwise, to be impacted by this pandemic."

Sio noticed Adam rolling his eyes a bit, though he didn't outwardly say anything. Luckily Jess had thrown on something to cover up her 'just rolled out of bed' look, though the sniper still tried to stand behind the couch so nobody would notice her wearing a guy's boxers.

The breakfast sandwiches that were delivered just before the meeting tasted delicious: savory bacon with gooey, melted cheese, all held together between two slices of toasted herb bread. She'd heard the others casually mention how San Francisco was considered a real food destination, and Sio, upon finishing her sandwich, wholeheartedly decided this was true.

"Commander, I think we're all in agreement that it's important to stop this disease from spreading as much as we can, but I still don't understand; what's the point of housing us all here, in a civilian house?" Adam put his mug aside to address Commander Iyo directly. "Given the severity of this virus, wouldn't it make more sense for us to return to somewhere with medical facilities and proper sanitation equipment and supplies? Surely the Alex Logan or even the Yavin base in San Francisco itself would be more than sufficient for quarantine and isolation?"

The hologram nodded. "All very good points, Adam Muirhead. However, returning to a base would still require travel—and in that act itself, exposure and potential carrying of the virus. And do not forget, we are under the public eye and scrutiny now. Even if we are saving the world, it would not be wise to appear as if we are above the law."

"Alright, but that's not answering my—"

"—I was getting to that, Muirhead. Patience, if you will, young man." Adam grumbled but muttered an apology, a bit ashamed of himself. "So why did I make the decision to house your platoon in an ordinary house, in the middle of a civilian zone? Simply because the sooner we can limit travel, the better our odds of containing the virus. Since your last mission just happened to land you in the region, and we have connections and resources here..." The Commander trailed off, but the rest of the group could sense this was a non-negotiable decision.

"In the case of an emergency, the Yavin is prepared to provide aid, but as it is a rather large base with a large number of staff, we felt it was riskier to have you holders be among so many people, hence the separate house. We have done our best in the short period of time to make sure it is up to our usual standards, but of course, feel free to request any additional supplies, or you may choose to procure them yourself—though I would not recommend it unless absolutely necessary."

Sio nodded. Personally, she was fine with being around less people overall, though a part of her was concerned that cabin fever might develop at some point. "U-Um, Commander, is there anything specific we have to do, or, er..."

"For now, despite you being quartered elsewhere, you will still be on-call should there be an EIO attack or incident; if that happens, the Yavin will provide support. Otherwise, you are free to do as you normally would in your free time; per the region's laws, you may not gather in crowds or leave the dwelling except for getting exercise or supplies, or food. We've made a variety of delivery applications and methods available to you, so please use those as you wish. Personally, I'd recommend keeping up with your training as well, but given that we just headed off another of their waves, I think it's safe to say you four deserve a bit of a break, as well."

The rest of the group murmured amongst themselves in a quiet surprise, though Adam still didn't seem convinced. "So, let me get this straight: we're basically going to be on shore leave for a month, and short of some attack in the area, just live here like...a couple of flatmates?"

At this comment, the Commander seemed to smile, almost. "You could say that. What's the matter, Adam, is there a problem with taking some time to relax? I daresay a bit of a break can do one's mind and body good."

"Well yeh sure, but still—"

"—Think of it as an opportunity to bond with your squad. Especially since Miss Ogura has just joined us, it would be a good chance for you all to get to know each other better. After all, strong bonds off the field can help when on, don't you think?" And with that comment the Commander bowed and took her leave, heading to her next meeting.

"Tch...load a good that was." Sighing, Adam sunk into the couch, pouring himself another cup of coffee. "Whatever; if that's what Command wants, then so be it."

"Well I, for one, would never say no to a vacation," Mahesh stretched lazily, before grabbing the last sandwich from the bag. "Oops, this has bacon in it...eh, whatever."

"Oh no! Do you not eat meat? That's right, I think I read somewhere that most Indian people are vegetarians..." Sio looked on with worry as Mahesh continued to eat the sandwich.

"Hm? Oh, well that varies from person to person; I mean, technically speaking, I'm not supposed eat pork or beef, but honestly, if it's offered I'm not going to say no," the Indian took another bite. "What can I say, I've never exactly been a stellar role model... I'm Mahesh Mirza, not Mahatma Gandhi. Regardless of my e-gene...he doesn't represent me as a person."

"...I see." He did have a point, now that she thought about it. 'In the beginning, I was afraid I'd become Oda Nobunaga, and forget myself as Sio Ogura...but that's not the case so far. It makes sense that the holders themselves are different than their e-gene personalities.'

Well, most of them, anyway. She cast a sideways glance at their leader, who was busy on his laptop. Adam Muirhead, the reincarnation of one Jack the Ripper. She still couldn't get over the fact that her team consisted of a famous pacifist and the most notorious serial killer known to man. 'It's true that Jack—er, Adam, isn't actually a bloodthirsty killer...though I wouldn't exactly call him nice, either. But, well...' Sio looked down again at the clothes she was wearing, and recalled how, even though he must've been exhausted as well, he still went out of his way to teach her everyday tasks like doing the laundry and dishes.

'Is it because of the e-gene personality? Jack the Ripper, vs. Adam Muirhead...I wonder if that's why sometimes he's mean, sometimes he's nice—er, nicer.' The sniper started to feel a little bad; after all, she was still fretting about how drastically her personality changed when she was in battle, but maybe Jack (or rather Adam) was struggling with controlling it himself. 'Maybe he doesn't mean to be so harsh all the time...but he can't help it.'

"Well, it seems we're on our own then. If we're going to be here for a while, perhaps we should grab some supplies? Food delivery or not, it would probably be a good idea to have some items on hand." Mahesh suggested, the rest of the group nodding in agreement. "Of course, there's a bit of an issue with transport..."

"You've got two legs. I think there's a corner store or somethin' nearby...alternatively, I'm sure we can requisition a vehicle from the Yavin, but it might not arrive right away." Adam was now furiously typing away, apparently making a list and going over what exactly their quarantine experience would entail. "I'm askin' for one right now along with some other equipment, but we probably shouldn't wait until it arrives."

"Given the situation, it seems almost practical to suit up...now the real question is, who wants to go with me? Surely you don't expect me to carry everything by myself?"

Nobody said anything, each holder looking from the other to the next, until finally Adam shut the lid in exasperation. "Alright fine, I'll go; and Jess you're comin' along as well. The squirt can stay behind and watch the place—unless you wanna tag along."

"Excuse me, who died and made you king—"

"—Shore leave or not, I'm technically still the leader of the Second Platoon, Beckham. And given that nobody else seems to have the wherewithal to make a decision, then I'm going to do it. If you don't like it, then next time you make the call," Adam shot back hotly, the blonde giving him a stern glare but didn't challenge his decision.

"U-Uh, I-I... I'll stay behind and, clean up the place..." The other three were now suiting up again, glad that DOGOO had added helmets to their armor just in the nick of time. Mahesh asked if there was anything in particular the sniper wanted, but Sio simply shook her head. Whatever they chose would be good enough for her, she decided, and besides, given the tension between them (and it wasn't even noon yet, dear lord), she figured it was best to not create any unnecessary burdens.

"W-Well, itterasshai..."

"Let us know if you think of anything you want, Sio-chan!" And with a flourish the trio departed, dressed like they were going on a mission, though in this case the mission was simply to the nearest grocery store.

As soon as the door closed Sio sank onto the couch with a sigh of relief. "Whew...finally, some peace and quiet..." As soon as she said that, the sniper felt bad. It wasn't that she hated her teammates—though there were definitely certain habits she could live without, such as Newton's penchant for French kissing everybody and Gandhi's constant flirting. 'And Jack could stand to be a little more patient...instead of barking orders at me whenever I mess up...'

Suddenly she noticed what she was wearing, and remembered her clothes. "Oh right, I should go check the laundry..." Luckily her clothes were only damp, though Sio did worry about how wrinkled they looked as she hung them up, no doubt the result of being forgotten in the washer all night. "Well, hopefully they'll go away...or I don't know, maybe Jack-san can teach me how to iron them..."

Until they dried though, it seemed like she would be stuck wearing Adam's clothes for a while longer. At least he didn't seem to mind, and again Sio thought back to their interactions last night, where he offered to help her (all the while wearing nothing but a towel around his waist), and actually kept his word. As she thought about his words and actions, the sniper was acutely aware of herself flushing hotly, but she couldn't quite figure out why.

'Eh...? Why do I feel so...embarrassed all of a sudden?' The sniper shivered, although it wasn't cold at all in the house. 'Snap out of it Sio, he's just offering 'cause you're the newbie and he probably feels bad for you, it's not because he actually cares or anything or...wait, why do I care so much about what he thinks? I-It's not like we're friends or anything like that, he's just my platoon leader and teammate, so...'

Shaking her head, the sniper forced herself to start picking up the place, like she said she would. So far there wasn't much to do, but Sio remembered Adam's words about how if they didn't keep it up, the place would become a pigsty in less than a week.

After all the garbage had been sorted and dishes correctly loaded into the dishwasher, the sniper decided to explore the house a bit. Though it was extremely tempting, she resisted the urge to peek inside the other members' rooms; there was no way she was going to risk being called a snoop. However, there were still plenty of interesting nooks and crannies to discover. At the landing space right before the staircase to the attic, Sio discovered an old chest of drawers standing in the corner. Some of its drawers simply contained bed linens, but one was filled to the brim with all sorts of old-fashion board games, and several decks of cards.

She took out some of the games; maybe they could have a group board game night or something. Especially since the landing space seemed designed for gatherings, given the cushions ringing a shag rug. The whole house looked like it had been designed for one very large family, given the sheer number of rooms, and that wasn't even counting the spacious yard. It looked like there had been a garden of sorts at one point, but now there was just a bare patch of dirt, a couple long-standing bushes along the fence and weathered patio furniture. Still, it was nice to have the option for fresh air, which Sio suspected she would need in the coming weeks.

An hour or so later, Sio found herself in the basement—or, at least it looked like a basement to her. It wasn't dark and creepy like so many of the horror movies she'd seen, but it was a bit musty, with a thick layer of dust covering most of the contents. She resisted the urge to sneeze several times as she perused the oddities; most of it seemed to be old furniture or else antiques kept by the owner, but sitting on top of a heavy wooden table she discovered a record player. Next to it, a crate of vinyl records sat underneath a sheet.

"Ooh, I wonder if this works...it'd be fun to try." Poking around, the sniper jumped a bit as she accidentally turned it on. "Whoa, it's still going! I should try putting a record on and see what happens..." Sifting through the vinyl, she pulled out the first one that caught her eye. Bright red UFOs with blue flames dotted the cover, as they seemed to float into space. "Boston...isn't that a city in America? Wonder what it sounds like..." Carefully she slid the record out, popped it on and turned on the turntable as the needle slid over the track.

"It's been such a long time...I think I should be goin', yeah
But time doesn't wait for me, it keeps on rollin'..."

Sio didn't really understand all the words, but the guitars were pretty catchy, even if this song was probably older than she was. Bobbing her head along to the main melody, she didn't even notice the door open and slam shut above.

"Oy, hanninmae, we're back." Adam dropped the numerous bags and bundles onto the table, the others doing the same as he finally popped off his helmet. "...Squirt? Sio?" There was no response, which was a bit unsettling considering she shouldn't have gone anywhere.

"Hm, I didn't see her in the back," Mahesh popped his head back in from the yard. "You don't think she could've...gone out for a stroll, maybe?"

Adam frowned. It was possible, but somehow it didn't seem right. "Maybe...but I don't think so. She seemed pretty intent on staying inside...also, she wouldn't just go out without leaving us some kind of note. She's not that irresponsible."

"Wait, I think I hear something." Jess cocked her head towards the floor. "Yes...there's faint music coming from underneath us. This place has a basement, doesn't it?"

Adam hoofed it down the narrow stairs, the music now getting louder as he descended. As he carefully peeked around the corner he finally caught sight of the sniper, now sitting next to what looked like an ancient record player that was belting out the best of classic rock hits, the girl swinging her legs and nodding her head as she sang (somewhat off-key) along:

"Anyway you want it, that's the way you need it,
Any way you want it..."

For some reason Adam just stood there, not wanting to interrupt the girl or startle her. As he watched her move along with the music, singing in off-key English, he found himself smiling, despite everything. There was just something so pure about it, the sniper enjoying herself with some new discovery like she didn't have a care in the world. He was bit envious of how carefree she could be, when they weren't weighed down with saving the world. Even though he certainly considered himself to be more mellow as 'Adam' versus 'Jack', somehow, he never seemed to be able to let his guard down, even when he was completely alone.

He waited until the track ended, before gently knocking on the door and the sniper turned around in shock. "O-Oh! Jack-san, I didn't realize you guys were back..."

"Well, you seemed to be pretty, uh...preoccupied, so I didn't want to disturb you. Never would've pegged you t' be the type for classic rock, but you've got good taste." The sniper suddenly felt shy as he made his way over, looking through the discs himself. "Whew, whoever owns this place sure knew what they were doing... Journey, Boston, heck even The Beatles..."

"Oh, well uh, I was just choosing discs at random...I don't usually listen to this stuff, but it's surprisingly good." She peered at the disc as Adam slid in The Beatles album. "Jack-san, do you like this type of music?"

"Eh, some of them. I mean, you can't go wrong with The Beatles; Beatlemania originated in England, after all," he offered the girl a wry smirk. "Brilliant discovery; so, you find anything else while we were gone?"

She told him all about the board games on the landing space and the garden out back, and Adam mused they might play some board games, if they actually got bored enough. "I know we're technically on shore leave, but I don't want us to just forget about everything else, too. You never know when an attack might come...so starting today, I want all of us to at least keep up with some level of training, just in case. And yes squirt, I mean everyone," he gave her a pointed stare, "including you. Don't think I won't know if you start slacking."

"Haaaii..." Personally, Sio was hoping she'd be able to get some R&R, but from what Adam said, as long as she did her daily regimen, it seemed like the rest of the time was hers.

As they came out of the basement, Sio's stomach rumbled; it seemed she'd been down there longer than she thought. The fridge and pantry were now stocked with an assortment of ready-to-eat meals, as well as snacks and other basic ingredients. The fruit bowl was filled, and Sio snagged an apple as she watched Adam take out a bunch of ingredients.

"Whoa, are you cooking lunch?"

"I am, but if you guys want to order out, don't let me stop you." Jess and Mahesh were apparently looking over the city's many high class restaurants, and though Sio was tempted to get takeout (especially given how good breakfast had been), part of her longed for a home-cooked meal, too.

'Ugh...I kinda don't want to get takeout for the second time in a row, but I'm sure Jack would either make fun of or yell at me if I asked him to cook...' The sniper wrestled with her inner thoughts, torn between swallowing her pride or just resigning to another delivery order. Perhaps she could try her own hand at making something... The sniper thought back to her near-disastrous experiences in home economics class, where she'd somehow managed to burn salad.

Maybe not.

"Say Sio dear, did you want anything? You can take a look at the menu if you want." As if saving her from indecision, Jess handed her the smartphone, which currently displayed a takeout menu for some fancy French place. "I'm not sure how you feel about French food, but it's a good deal, especially for such a highly-rated restaurant. Apparently it's even Michelin rated!"

"Ah, Jess-san, uh..." Smiling nervously, she took a look over the menu, but it was more out of courtesy than anything else. Most of the menu items were in French, and those she could pick out didn't exactly appeal to her. 'Escargot? Ugh, aren't those snails? I think I'll pass...'

"Anything you want to try, Sio-chan?" Mahesh was smiling at her, which made her feel all the more guilty. How was it she still had such a hard time expressing herself, even at the expense of her own sanity?

"I-I, uh, it's...I'm not sure what these dishes are, honestly, so whatever you guys think is good..."

"—Ooor, were you thinking more about having something home-cooked?" As if reading her mind, the Indian gave her a slight wink, nodding towards their leader, who was now sauteing up something that smelled deliciously fragrant. "I'm sure Adam-senpai here wouldn't mind whipping up a dish or two for his kohai..."

Well. At least it was Mahesh who said it, and not her, but still Sio felt the hair on the back of her neck stick up, as Adam slowly turned around with an indignant look. "What d'you take me for, a short-order cook? If the rookie wants to cook, she can do it herself."

"Ah, but Adam, you're already at the stove; surely you can spare some of your cooking with our sniper? Although if your cooking is anything like Jess', I can see why you'd rather not share..." The Indian somehow managed to dodge both a pillow from the blonde and a ladle from their leader, Sio staring all the while.

"Can it, Mirza, or it'll be the knife next..."

"Mahesh Mirza, since you seem to know so much about my cooking skills, then how about you volunteer to be my next taste tester?"

"My my, so touchy...oh look, our order's here, I'd better go check the door." With that Mahesh excused himself, both Brits glaring holes into his back as he retreated.

"Wanker..." Adam shook his head, but didn't bother chasing after the Indian. He tasted the vegetable mixture, nodded in satisfaction, then shoved the mashed potato-and-vegetable patty topped with cheese mixture into the oven, where it sat alongside an almost-ready Yorkshire pudding. "Oy, squirt, are you cookin' or not? Else I'm cleaning up."

"A-Aahh, u-uhh, it's...it's okay, I'm not...that hungry right now anyway, since breakfast was so filling...I'll just get something myself later." As she said all this, her stomach let out an impressive grumble, Adam raising his white brow so high it seemed to disappear into his hairline, while the sniper turned red as a tomato.

"'Not hungry', 'ey...y'know, you could at least be a bit more creative with your lies, squirt." He sighed, while Sio desperately wished for a rock to crawl under.

"D, Don't, worry about me, J-Jack-san, I-I can...take care of myself..." He gave her another pointed stare, before shrugging a 'whatever' and took the hot dishes out of the oven. Sio resisted the urge to drool as she smelled the savory sausages, mealy potatoes all topped with bubbling cheese...especially as Mahesh just returned, carrying the French food which smelled just as delectable to her grumbling stomach.

"Sio-chan, surely you're not on a diet or anything? You're already skinny enough as is..." Mahesh gave her a curious look as the other members dug in, only the sniper sitting awkwardly at the table and poking away at a bowl of cereal, since it was one of the few items she could eat without cooking.

"—If you want the rest, it's yours. I'm done." Before the sniper could come up with an excuse Adam slid the plates over, the sniper too surprised to even say thank you. "Toad in the hole and rumbledethumps; take it or leave it, but don't get the wrong idea; I just made too much, that's all."

"Sure you did, Adam."

"Shut up, Mirza."

"Ah, uh, Jack-san..." She stared at his retreating back as he climbed up the stairs. "...Thank you very much..." Though she didn't know much about British food—toad in the hole? Rumble-what?—it did smell good, and at least she could identify the ingredients.

'Again, he just helped me out...without me asking...I wonder why he's like that...' Gingerly, she took a bite of the vegetable and potato patty. "Mmmm...! This is really good...! It's like cheesy mashed potatoes." Next she tried—what was it, toads in a hole? "Oh, I see. It's sausage...in, uh...bread? Pancake? What is this..."

"Yorkshire pudding, dear. Very common in Britain. Think of it as a cross between a pancake and dinner roll."

"I see...thanks, Jess. Though, why is it called pudding? I was expecting something else entirely..."

"In Britain, pudding refers to both sweet and savory kinds. You're probably thinking of the custard type, aren't you?"

The sniper nodded, thoroughly enjoying her first introduction to British cuisine. It wasn't particularly fancy, but it was certainly tasty, and did remind her of eating at home, even if the dishes were completely different.

"I'm surprised that Jack-san is actually really good at cooking. I-I mean, not that it's weird or anything, but just...the way he acts sometimes..."

"Well, Adam sure is full of surprises, isn't he?" Mahesh commented as he helped the girl clean up. "Maybe if you're clever, he'll let you in on his secrets..."

"H-Huh?" Sio blushed, but Mahesh disappeared before she could make heads or tails of it. "I should tell him thank you...not just for lunch, but for everything yesterday, too..."

Slowly she climbed up to the attic room, where the door was shut but she could faintly hear music on the other side. "Um, J-Jack-san?" She knocked a few times and the music suddenly stopped, a faint 'what d'you want' floating through.

"Um, I just...er, I just wanted to—"

The door flew open and Sio jumped back with a squeak. "Yeh? Did you need something?"

"O-Oh, n, no it's just I...um," For some reason every single bit of courage left her body every time she talked directly with him—and why couldn't she stop staring at his tight-fitting shirt?! He was very muscular, she noted, especially those biceps, and that strong jawline—

"—Oy, squirt, spit it out already! I don't have all day."

"—I just wanted to thank you for lunch...e-even though, you didn't have to share it with me, I...I appreciate it. Thanks..." She twirled her hair nervously, face now a faint pink as she looked down at the hardwood floors.

"...You're welcome." Sio looked up in shock, probably not expecting him to be so polite all of a sudden. Really, was it that hard to believe he could be nice once in a while?

'Well, considering how you usually act around her...you could stand to be less of an arse, you twat. She's just joined, and hasn't even graduated high school at that. Give her a break.' His inner consciousness berated him, Adam doing his best to remain cool.

"A-Ah, u-uh, I...oh, I also wanted to tell you, it tasted really good! I mean, I wasn't sure what the dishes were, but...I liked them." A small smile spread on her face, the first sincere smile he'd ever seen from her, and suddenly he felt his pulse speeding up.

"Well, that's...good to know. Anyway, was that all, or...?" The space suddenly felt suffocating, Adam not used to being so close to the girl for so long. She really wasn't that bad, he decided; sure she was clumsy and inexperienced, but she was sincere. And kind.

"A-Also, uh, m-my clothes are just drying now, since I kinda forgot to take them out last night"—Adam sighed at this—"so I'll, probably give your clothes back tomorrow. After I wash them, of course!" She added, those maroons wide with determination and again Adam felt his heart skip a couple of beats.

'What the hell...why am I getting so nervous around the squirt...'

"Tha's fine. I guess your clothes weren't any worse for wear?"

The sniper shook her head. "No, they're clean now, though they are...pretty wrinkled..."

"...You want help with that?"

"H-Huuuh?!" Now the sniper looked really shocked. "Ah, I-I, uh, but well, you've already done so much for me—I couldn't possibly—"

"—You really can't do anything by yourself, can you?" He remarked dryly, having already made up his mind. "Must be nice having everything taken care of for you..."

"W-Well, that's why I'm learning now, aren't I?" She pouted, following Adam to the laundry room.

"I hope so; can't be babysittin' you all the time. Anyway, ironing: key points are to choose the right heat setting for the fabric type, and how to actually iron." He draped one of her t-shirts onto the board and turned on the iron, showing her where to drape the fabric and how to iron along the creases for best results.

"L, Let me try..." Adam looked at her with surprise as she grabbed the iron handle. "I said I'd use this time to learn and improve my...domestic skills...and I'm not going back on my word."

His lips quirked into a smile before he knew it. "...Sure. You give it a go, then." The sniper doggedly took her jeans from the pile, straightening it and then running the hot iron over the creases, just as he'd shown her earlier. "Hn, not bad; I'd use a higher heat setting for denim, since it's a tougher fabric...there we go, see how much easier it is?"

By the end there was a clean, neat pile of laundry in the basket, Sio now smiling broadly as she hauled the basket up to her room. "Yay! I managed to do something by myself..."

"Mostly by yourself," Adam corrected. "Not bad; I have to admit, you're a pretty quick learner. Now, if only you could apply that gumption to your training...speaking of which, you are planning on doing that this afternoon, yeh?"

"O-Of course! What do you take me for, jeeze," Her lips twisted into a pout, which actually made her look rather adorable, for a change. "A-Anyway, thanks, again...it seems like that's all I'm doing these days, just thanking you for saving my sorry butt..."

"Hn. You'll get better as you get more experience, squirt. Honestly, th' rest of us have been doing this for much longer, so...it's only natural to feel like you don't know anything."

"Ah, J-Jack-san..." For some reason she turned away, Adam raising an eyebrow. "B-But still, you...you know how to do so many things, and you're good at them, too. Laundry, cooking, heck you even clean the place up...I guess, I wasn't exactly expecting that..."

He stopped walking, and Sio peered at him curiously. Being good at everything, having to learn how to do it because what other choice did he have... Memories from long ago swirled up; of long days by himself until his mum returned from another exhausting day of work, of him vowing to do everything he could to ease her burden of raising him by herself...

"A-Ano, Jack...san? Are you...okay?"

"...It's nothing. Let's just say necessity is the mother of invention, yeh?"

Sio sensed the change in his tone. 'Oh no...did I offend him somehow? Maybe I said something wrong...' Before she could work herself into another frenzy however, he was opening the door for her.

"Anyway, make sure you do your training some time today. And if...you need anything, well, you know where to find me." With that he turned and left, Sio nodding a small 'okay'.

'Whoa, why is my face so hot all of a sudden... Probably from carrying my laundry up, yeah, that's it...'

That had to be it; couldn't be because she'd actually managed to hold a decent conversation with their prickly leader, no way...

Sio stared at her cellphone. Oh yeah, she'd definitely be calling Asao-san later tonight.